His roots lie in the german concerband, the Spielmannsmusik and in electronic dancemusic. He began to play the trumpet, the flute, piano, fanfare and parforcehorn. In the age of 13 he began composing an won the second advancement award at a composition contest of the BDMV. His Facharbeit (at Karl-Theodor-von-Dalberg-Gymnasium in Aschaffenburg) was already performed in Poland.
After his Abitur Mattes played the trumpet at Heeresmusikkorps 12 in Veitshöchheim (2004–2006). He studied composition at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg (Class of Prof. Heinz Winbeck / Márton Illés / Tobias PM Schneid) and visited the Fortbildungsklasse of Robert HP Platz. He also took part in a masterclass of Krzysztof Penderecki and in many other courses (f.e. of Klaus Ospald, Jürgen Schmitt, Hermann Beyer, Johannes Kalitzke, Ari Rasilainen). Because of the the frequent change of his teacher, he is familiar to many musical points of view.
Dirk Mattes reached the final round of the International Conductor Contest of the NBMB 2017. He is the chief-conductor of the Symponisches Blasorchster Untermain and also the Verbandsdirigent of the Musikverband Untermain. His compositions lead him to the conductor´s desk of Bläserphilharmonie Aachen, of Sinfonisches Blasorchester Vorspessart, of Sinfonisches Blasorchester der Landesmusikjugend Hessen, of Projektorchester Würzburg, of Bundesspielleuteorchester, of Jugendverbandsorchester des Blasmusikverbandes Vorspessart and many other ensembles. His style of conducting is significantly influenced by Alexander-technic and the Feldenkrais-method. Since many years he is a freelance lecturer throughout Germany.
Mattes has been comissioned by the Festival UnerHÖRTes (2014,2016), he wrote the Hymnus of the Bayerisches Landesmusikfest 2015, as well as the Fanfare for the Dt. Turnfest 2021. He composed the music to the The Merry Wives Of Windsor“ at the Werkstattbühne Würzburg and has been in charge with a concertintroduction by the Vokalensemble „Crescendo“ about Eric Whitacre´s „Lux aurumque“ . He reconstructed a chambermusical arrangement of „Marietta´s Lied“ for the Ensemble Kontraste.
His works are performed by various numbers of orchestras, namely the Landespolizeiorchester Bayern (Conductor: Prof. Johann Mösenbichler), the Bläserphilharmonie Aachen (Conductor: Tobias Haussig), the Landespolzeiorchester NRW (Conductor: Scott Lawton), the Sinfonisches Blasorchester Musikbund Ober- und Niederbayern (Conductor: Markus Theinert), the Sinfonischen Blasorchester des Blasmusikverbandes Vorspessart (Conductor: Harald Krebs) and the Projektorchester Würzburg (Conductor: Christian Steinlein).
His music includes banality as well as as clomplex structures. In addition to some blocky settings the music is driven by an inner tension. His orchestration is influenced by his work with Synthesizers and the study of the old masters. Another stylistic feature is the intense use of the percussion-section. You can find the reason for that in his roots. In his aestetic focus you find especially the structural design of time. The transparent appearance of form sometimes is broken by spontanic outbursts and mischievous junctions, but the logic of form keeps preserved. A categorisation of his music is only possible on a case-by-case basis (but not necessary at all) and certainly is falling to short in terms of his diverse oeuvre.
The City of Alzenau honoured the Musician for his work with the „Ehrennadel der Stadt Alzenau“.